Dear Friends,
For me, April has been filled with interesting discussions of the religious currents of the world today. The Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences has had four straight weeks of faculty meetings on a new general education curriculum in which “Culture and Belief” figures prominently.

In mid-April, I spent a weekend in Madison, Wisconsin at a conference on “Religious Pluralism in Modern America” sponsored by the newly-established Lubar Institute for the Study of the Abrahamic Religions. I gave a plenary address on “The Turbulent Waters of Religious Pluralism: Civic Challenges? Theological Challenges? What’s the Difference and What’s the Problem?” While the papers and panels were given by academic colleagues, the conference and discussion was open to the university and the community.

In Madison, I had the chance to catch up with Selena Fox, founder of Circle Sanctuary, a Pagan Spiritual Center in Wisconsin. That’s the two of us in the photograph. I have known Selena for nearly twenty years and we have both been involved in the case brought by Americans United for Separation of Church and State to get the Wiccan Pentacle approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs as an “emblem of belief” for the gravestones of the Wiccan war dead and Wiccan veterans. I served as academic expert in the case and gave written testimony. This past week, we were happy to see that the case was settled, with the government agreeing at last to recognize the Pentacle as a religious symbol. As the Assistant Legal Director of Americans United put it, this should “ease the path toward Veterans Administration recognition for other minority faiths.”

In an email sent May 1, Selena let us know that, “Grave makers with pentacles arrived at Circle Cemetery today, our church cemetery in Wisconsin, and headstones with pentacles are now in Arlington National Cemetery.” You can see images of these grave markers, as well as extensive coverage of this week’s press conference at the National Press Club on the Circle Sanctuary website. This victory secured an important right for Wiccan veterans, and for veterans of any religious minority.

We continue to be grateful for so many friends and colleagues in both academic and religious communities.
Diana

The Sikh-ing Harmony photography exhibit documents a day in the life of Satnam Singh, who lives and works in the Boston area. The exhibit will remain at the Pluralism Project as a permanent installation, and you can also view it online as a slide show.

Deadline Extended for Interfaith Academies in Kansas City

There are openings still available for two wonderful Interfaith Academies in Kansas City from June 13-27. Participants in the Interfaith Academy for Emerging Religious Leaders have to pay only for their travel to/from Kansas City. Food, housing, local transportation, excursions, curriculum, and supporting materials are all covered by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation. The project is a collaborative effort of Religions for Peace-USA, the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, Saint Paul School of Theology, and the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council.

In addition, there is a one-week fee-for-service Interfaith Academy for Religious Professionals from June 13-20. It costs $1,500. Applications should be received by the new deadline of May 8. Organizers will continue to accept applications until all slots are filled. Applications and details are at: http://www.rfpusa.org/interfaithacademy

The Sharon Interfaith Action Youth Leadership Program is currently accepting applications for its first Boston-wide conference. Sponsored by the Pluralism Project, this day-long leadership training event will be held on Tuesday, June 26, at Harvard Divinity School. The conference is entitled T.I.D.E. (Teenage Interfaith Diversity Education): “The Wave of Change Conference.” Participating teens will be trained in “leadership skills and open communication.” The goal will be to “promote respect, understanding, and acceptance in the community of which we are a part.” High school students in the greater Boston area are encouraged to apply online.

Released earlier this year, Body Evidence: Intimate Violence Against South Asian Women in America, is edited by Shamita Das Dasgupta, founder of Manavi, Inc., the first organization in the United States to focus on violence against women in South Asian communities. This volume is comprised of articles by over twenty scholars and public health professionals and exposes the unique challenges that confront domestic violence victims of South Asian descent in the United States. Religious, cultural, linguistic, and legal implications are taken into account. Congratulations to Shamita, who is a long-time friend of the Project, and women’s networks member, on this excellent and historic volume.